Chess
by CarmenBlack212
Summary: Ron and Luna play chess. But Luna is certainly not your typical chess player... Not a RonLuna fic  NevilleLuna and RonHermione.


**Author's Notes: **Thanks to my beta, ColtonGirl, as well as my swell shipmates on the SS The Government Stole My Toad. This story was inspired by a few posts made by **mia** and **hermionewood. **To find out exactly what the posts said, go to my LJ and read the Author's Notes at the bottom of the fic. And enjoy!

Playing chess with Luna Lovegood was not Ron's idea of a perfect afternoon.

He would rather have done just about anything else. He would have changed Rose's nappy. He would have made dinner. He would have escorted Hermione to the grocery store. But by the time Ron knew about the plan, it was already too late to make changes, or so said Hermione.

"Neville and Luna are coming for dinner, Ron," Hermione said, taking the car keys off the little silver hook. "I am going to pick up things from the store -- they might get here before I do. If so, just talk and keep them occupied. Maybe teach them to play chess," she suggested, nodding to the chessboard that sat on the table. "Rosie is sleeping, so don't be loud."

Ron watched as Hermione left.

"She always does this," Ron sighed to the empty living room. "Never tells me what's going on until the last minute."

Ron sat back in his armchair and flipped through the newspaper, hoping the Hermione would return before the arrival of Neville and his girlfriend.

She didn't.

A soft tap on the door made Ron put his paper aside and open his front door.

"Hello, Ronald!" Luna Lovegood said cheerily. She was wearing a baggy jumpsuit of bright yellow and orange sneakers, along with a straw hat and Christmas tree earrings. To complete this ensemble was a large bag sewn together from patches. Ron bit back a remark and turned to Neville, who was thankfully dressed in a more customary fashion for early October. Ron was oddly appreciative of Neville's navy jumper and jeans as he said, "Hey Neville, Luna. Come on in, then, but try not to wake Rose. Shall I -- shall I take your hat, Luna?" Ron asked, restraining a snort.

"Why yes, that would be very nice. Do you have a hat rack?"

"Er, no, but we have a coat closet." He took Luna's hat from her and as he put it on a shelf in the closet full of jackets, he noticed a strange-looking animal on a pin attached to the hat's brim. He chose not to ask Luna what it was, but rather sat the guests in the living room and conjured up some tea.

"So, Neville, I hear you're going to take the Herbology job?" Ron asked, mildly interested.

"Oh, yeah. This is Sprout's last year and she recommended me to take over!" Neville beamed.

"Yes, we're quite excited!" Luna piped up. "Neville will be living at Hogwarts again and pursuing the most noble of professions - the passing on of knowledge!"

Ron nodded. "And what are you doing these days?"

"I'm a naturalist!" Luna told him enthusiastically. "I've just gotten back from Germany, you know, and I met the most fascinating person. I think he said that he's a descendant from Newt Scamander! His name is Rolf, and I thought that was funny, because Neville's name is Rolf!" Luna laughed softly while Ron looked bemused.

"I thought Neville's name was Neville?"

"His middle name is Rolf, though. Neville Rolf Longbottom," she trilled. Neville added another sugar cube to his tea for something to do.

"But yes," Luna went on, "Rolf is quite a nice fellow, and we are going to be friends. He said he'll help me look for a Blibbering Humdinger next summer!"

"Great," Ron said. "Neville, looks like you have competition with this Rolf guy."

"Nah," Neville said. "I'm not too worried."

"Neville will be coming too, of course!" Luna said, with wide eyes. "Maybe you and Hermione would like to come?"

"Er, no," Ron said, chuckling at the thought of Hermione searching for a Humdinger. "No, Luna, we have plans. Do you want me to teach you to play chess?"

The words were out of Ron's mouth before he thought of saying them. He hoped desperately she'd turn down the offer.

"Oh, no," Luna said, and Ron felt momentary relief, until she continued. "I already know how! Shall we play?" Her large, pale eyes fixed him with an excited stare and Ron gave in.

"Sure," he muttered, waving his wand at the chessboard table to move it closer. The chess pieces that had been in various positions on the board, standing valiantly as though in the midst of a battle, reorganized themselves to begin a new game. Ron spun the table to give Luna the whites. Ever since McGonagall's chessboard in his first year, Ron was always keen on playing the black pieces.

Luna began the game. "Excuse me? C2? Would you please move forward two spaces to C4?" As the piece obliged, Luna smiled and said, "Thank you very much. Ron?"

Ron blinked, then said, "A2 to A4."

The game went on; Ron continued to urge his pieces around the board, and Luna proceeded to politely direct or suggest strategies to her pieces. Ron had to admit she wasn't terrible, and had few problems with her chess knowledge until --

"Well, since I am wearing a blue top under this" -- Luna unzipped her yellow jacket to reveal a blue tee shirt -- "I am going to ask you, my knight on D4, to move to D5 and take Ronald's rook!" Before Ron could object, Luna waved her wand and her knight became a kelpie, slid forward one square, took out Ron's stunned castle, and transformed back into a horse and rider.

"Wha -- what the hell was that?" Ron exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"Why not? I'm wearing blue." She gestured again to her blue shirt, but Ron waved it away and said, "Because there are rules, Luna. Chess rules, and -- "

"Oh, there's a rule that someone wearing blue may not turn there knight into a kelpie?" Luna said, frowning. "I've never heard about it..."

"No, there's not, but you can't just do it because there isn't a rule saying you can't!" Ron said loudly, his neck reddening. "Because there _is _a rule saying a knight can only move in a specific pattern!"

Luna frowned. "But it wasn't a knight, it was a kelpie."

Ron took a deep breath. "Just -- just no more kelpies, please? Damn, Rosie woke up."

Ron left the room to put his daughter back to sleep as Luna turned to Neville.

"I _am_ wearing blue," she said, pointing again at the shirt, as though worried he might think she was cheating.

"I know," Neville said. "I am, too. I probably would have done the same thing if I were playing Ron."

Luna smiled and reached out to take Neville's hand. They sat in a comfortable silence, hand in hand, until Ron came back, bringing Rosie in a carrier. She was sucking on a pacifier and staring up at them all with wide, brown eyes. Luna gasped at the sight of the child and rummaged in her patched bag, pulling out a stuffed animal with a silver horn on its head attached to a cloth rope. She tied the rope onto the carrier and smiled wide as Rose's eyes stared with wonder at what Ron assumed was a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Ron and Luna picked up the game. Luna agreed not to use the kelpie maneuver, but not five minutes passed when another problem arose.

"You can't _do_ that!" Ron practically howled, drawing Rose's attention from the Snorkack on her carrier. Luna had just instructed her queen to shoot forward, jump one of her pawns, and take out Ron's last bishop.

The queen threw the bishop aside and brushed off her shoulders of imaginary dust.

"Sure I can," Luna said, sounding mildly affronted. "I'm wearing red underwear! Right, Neville?"

Ron goggled at them.

"I didn't know you were wearing red underwear, but if you are, then yeah," Neville said, watching Ron's red flush reach his ears.

"Oh, I am," Luna assured him. "I can show you -- "

"No!" Ron burst. "No! No. There's no need for you to prove you are wearing red underwear, because it doesn't _matter _what colour your bloody underpants are! You still can't do that!"

Both he and Luna looked to Neville, Luna concerned, Ron imploring.

"Um," Neville said.

"Where did you people learn to play chess?" Ron demanded.

"Well, um, my Gran taught me," Neville began.

"And I suppose your father taught you?" Ron asked Luna.

"No, Neville did. And then we worked on it together."

"You - you _worked on it_" Ron looked flabbergasted. "You worked on the game of chess? Please tell me you mean you worked on your skills, not on the game!"

Silence. Then they answered, "The game."

"Gah!"

"Ron, what's wrong?" came Hermione's voice. Ron, Luna, Neville and Rose looked to the doorway. "Are you okay?" Hermione's voice asked her husband from behind a paper grocery bag.

"I -- No! Well, yes."

"What? Never mind, are Luna and Neville here?"

"Yes," said Neville. "We're here."

"Oh, just hold on a moment, then."

The shopping bag with arms and legs that was Hermione moved away toward the kitchen and soon Hermione, with her bushy hair in a ponytail, joined them with her own cup of tea.

"Oh, are you playing chess?" she asked.

Ron grumbled, but no one else said anything. Hermione looked at them all, waiting for something, and Neville broke the silence with the first words that came to mind.

"Luna's wearing red underwear."


End file.
